Search Results
New Search Photo Search Audiovisual Search- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 28; Series 6; File 11
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 28
- Series
- 6
- File
- 11
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- [194-]
- Physical Description
- 4 photographs : b&w ; 25 x 30 cm and 9 x 12 cm
- Scope and Content
- The file consists of a portrait photograph of David Ben Gurion and 2 photographs of Ben Gurion addressing the assembly of the World Zionist Congress.
- Name Access
- David ben Gurion
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 2; Series 6; File 15
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 6
- File
- 15
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1948-1954
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File contains correspondence between Ben Dunkelman and David Ben-Gurion on the subject of Dunkelman's marriage to Yael Dunkelman. The correspondence also relates to Dunkelman's request that Ben-Gurion write an introduction to his memoirs.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 2; Series 6; File 24
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 6
- File
- 24
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1949-1976
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File contains correspondence between Ben Dunkelman and David Ben-Gurion chiefly on the subject of Dunkelman's activities during the Arab-Israeli War. In addition to correspondence, the file includes two reports Dunkelman submitted in 1949 to the Israel Defence Forces.
- Physical Condition
- Some records are fragile.
- Related Material
- See fonds 2, series 5 for more information on the reports Dunkelman submitted to the Israel Defence Forces.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
- Executive Committee series
- Executive Director sub-series
- Executive Director's Correspondence sub-sub-series
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 67; Series 5-5-1; File 172
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
- Executive Committee series
- Executive Director sub-series
- Executive Director's Correspondence sub-sub-series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 67
- Series
- 5-5-1
- File
- 172
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 20 Mar. 1967
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of correspondence.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Accession Number
- 2004-5-98
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2004-5-98
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- 5 photographs : b&w (2 negatives) ; 18 x 13 cm or smaller
- Date
- [ca. 1955]-1992
- Scope and Content
- Acession consists of a photograph of Dora Wilensky, her mother Mrs. Wilensky, and J.B. Salsberg; two group photographs of an unidentified organization, both of which include J.B. Salsberg; and a Toronto Star Centennial Magazine entitled "The Hundred Heroes and Villains , Memories and Legends, A celebration". It includes an entry about J.B. Salsberg "Communist at Queen's Park".
- Administrative History
- Joseph Baruch Salsberg (1902-1998) was a labour leader, political activist, politician, insurance salesman, and journalist. He was also active in various Jewish organizations, including: the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto, and the New Fraternal Jewish Association. He is well-remembered by contemporaries, such as Sam Lipshitz, as a “champion of the people”, committed to social justice, the plight of the working class, and the preservation of Jewish culture.
- J. B. was born in Lagov, Poland on November 5, 1902 to Abraham and Sarah-Gittel Salsberg. Abraham immigrated to Toronto in 1910 and J. B. followed with his mother and two younger sisters in 1913. They settled at 73 Cecil Street. Abraham and Sarah-Gittel had additional children in Canada: Nathan (b. 1915), Reuven (Bob or Robert, b. 1917), Betty, and Thelma. Abraham worked as a peddler in Toronto.
- J. B. briefly attended Landsdowne Public School, but dropped out around 1915, against his parents' wishes, and took a job in a leather goods factory to contribute to his family’s income. J. B.’s parents had hoped he would become a rabbi and, despite his full-time employment, J.B. continued to study the Torah with scholars at the synagogue on Centre Avenue.
- In 1917, J. B. decided to pursue the ideas of Zionism and socialism and, abandoning his plans to become a rabbi, became involved in establishing the Young Poale Zion organization, a Labour Zionist youth group dedicated to secular aims. Around 1922, J. B. was made secretary general of the Young Poale Zion of America in New York, where he worked for one year. Shortly after returning to Toronto, he became the organizer for the Hat, Cap, and Millinery Workers Union of North America in Chicago. J. B. married Dora Wilensky in 1927.
- In 1926, J. B. joined the Communist Party of Canada (CPC). He was an active member of the CPC for 30 years, serving as the head of its Trade Union Department for two decades. In 1929 he was suspended from the party for one year as a dissenter. In 1932, he became the Southern Ontario District union organizer for the Communist Workers' Unity League.
- It was as a member of the CPC that J. B. entered electoral politics. After a series of failed bids in municipal and provincial elections between 1935 and 1937, J. B. was elected alderman of Ward 4 in Toronto in 1938. He only held the position for one year. In 1943, J. B. was elected to the Ontario Legislature as the representative for the St. Andrew riding. J. B. sat as Member of Provincial Parliament for the Labor-Progressive Party (the provincial wing of the CPC) for 12 years. For several years, he was the only elected Communist in North America. As MPP, he helped create legislation banning discrimination in public places and introduced a bill that would ensure fair employment practices in the province. He lost his seat to Allan Grossman in 1955 and unsuccessfully ran in the federal election later that year. Remembered by journalist Gordon Sinclair as “one of the best debaters in the house”, J. B. was well-respected by members of all political parties. Out of admiration for J. B., Conservative Premier Leslie Frost named Salsberg Township in Northern Ontario in his honour.
- Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, J. B. had grown increasingly concerned about reports of Soviet antisemitism and privately urged party leaders to pursue the issue. In 1956, when Soviet First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev exposed the transgressions of Stalin’s regime, J. B. went to Moscow as part of a CPC delegation. After meeting with Khrushchev himself, it became clear to J. B. that antisemitism was indeed a problem in the USSR and that his efforts to probe the situation were being stonewalled.
- J. B. publicly expressed his concerns about Soviet antisemitism in a series of articles published in the Vochenblatt from October 25, 1956 to December 13, 1956. He finally left the Communist Party in 1957. However, he remained a member of the United Jewish People’s Order (UJPO), a Communist Jewish fraternal organization.
- Entering the business world, J. B. established the Model Insurance Agency Limited in 1957, where he served as president for several years. In 1959 J. B.’s wife, Dora, passed away. Around this time J. B. also resigned from the UJPO, along with other members who felt the organization needed to be more critical of the Soviet Union. They founded an alternative, non-Communist left-wing Jewish organization, the New Fraternal Jewish Association, where J. B. served as president for several terms and edited its publication “Fraternally Yours”.
- In his later life, J. B. was active as an executive member of organizations, such as the CJC and the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. He was the first chairman for the CJC Ontario Region’s Soviet Jewry Committee and the Committee for Yiddish. He also began writing an award-winning weekly column for the Canadian Jewish News. J. B. was awarded the CJC’s Samuel Bronfman Medal for distinguished service, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto’s Ben Sadowski Award of Merit. A strong supporter of Israel, he was involved in the creation of two Israeli medical centres that are named in his honour. He also helped establish the J. B. and Dora Salsberg Fund and the J. B. Salsberg Fund for Yiddish at the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto. J. B. passed away in 1998.
- Name Access
- Salsberg, J. B. (Joseph B.), ca. 1903-1998
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Level
- Item
- ID
- Item 6127
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Item
- Item
- 6127
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- [ca. 1955]
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 21 x 26 cm
- Scope and Content
- Item is a photograph of Canadian tourist group with David Ben Gurion, in Israel during the mid-1950s. First right of Ben Gurion: Mrs. Wagman; Fifth rigth of Ben Gurion: Mrs. Vera Walker; Behind third right of Ben Gurion: Louis Zuker; upper right: Florence and Lawrence Kert.
- Name Access
- Walker, Vera
- Zuker, Louis
- Kert, Florence
- Kert, Lawrence
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.
- Accession Number
- 1993-3-1
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Accession Number
- 2004-5-86
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2004-5-86
- Material Format
- object
- Physical Description
- 1 medal
- Date
- 1967
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of a large circular copper coloured medal enclosed in glass or acrylic. The inscription says that it was presented to Benjamin Schneider by Ben-Gurion on March 20, 1967.
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 28; Series 6; File 307
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 28
- Series
- 6
- File
- 307
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- 1973
- Physical Description
- 6 photographs : b&w ; 9 x 14 cm or smaller
- Scope and Content
- The file consists of photographs taken during a garden party at the home of David ben Gurion. Subjects of the photographs include ben Gurion; Sam Feldt; Norman Cowan; Al Gilbert;; Sam Siegel; D.S. Tschatok; Hannah Zamir; and Dr. Elimelech Rimalt.
- Name Access
- David ben Gurion
- Sam Feldt
- Norman Cowan
- Al Gilbert
- Sam Siegel
- D.S. Tschatok
- Hannah Zamir
- Elimelech Rimalt
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Item
- ID
- Fonds 51; Series 9; File 5
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Item
- Fonds
- 51
- Series
- 9
- File
- 5
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- Apr. 1967
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : col. ; 25 x 20 cm
- Scope and Content
- Item is a photograph of Phil Givens meeting with former Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion during a visit to Toronto.
- Notes
- Photograph is by Graphic Artists Photographers (Toronto)
- Name Access
- Ben-Gurion, David, 1886-1973
- Subjects
- Prime ministers--Israel
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Name
- J.B. Salsberg
- Material Format
- sound recording
- Interview Date
- Sep. 1985
- Source
- Oral Histories
- Name
- J.B. Salsberg
- Number
- OH 71
- Subject
- Labor movement
- Labor unions
- Women
- Demonstrations
- Interview Date
- Sep. 1985
- Quantity
- 1
- Total Running Time
- 071A: 44:50 minuets 071B: 35:55 minuets
- Conservation
- Copied August 2003
- Use Restrictions
- Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.
- Biography
- Joseph Baruch Salsberg (1902–1998) was a labour leader, political activist, politician, newspaper columnist, and a man who dedicated his life to Yiddishkeit and the advancement of social justice. He was active in various Jewish organizations, including: the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto, and the New Fraternal Jewish Association. In 1938 he was elected as alderman on Toronto’s City Council and elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 1943. He is well remembered by contemporaries, such as Sam Lipshitz, as a "champion of the people,' committed to social justice, the plight of the working-class, and the preservation of Jewish culture.
- This oral history includes Salsberg's personal reminiscences on the Toronto Jewish community, the Polish Jewish community and issues related to women's labour and the unions in the garment industry.
- Material Format
- sound recording
- Name Access
- International Ladies' Garment Workers Union
- Salsberg, J. B. (Joseph B.), 1902-1998
- Geographic Access
- Toronto
- Original Format
- Audio cassette
- Copy Format
- Audio cassette
- Digital file
- Transcript
- Side 1:
- 0.0-6.30: Joseph Baruch Salsberg was born in Poland in 1902 to Abraham and Sara Salsberg. Abraham migrated to Toronto in 1910 and Joseph followed with his mother and two younger sisters in 1913.
- 6.30-18.39: Prior to 1913 Poland was primarily a peasant and agricultural society with the majority of the Jewish population living and working as tradesmen in the villages. Salsberg discusses the difficult relationship between the Poles and Jews under the power of the Czar.
- 18:40-24.14: Salsberg discusses the Canadian government’s collaboration with the CP Railroad to launch advertising campaigns attracting potential immigrants to come and live in Canada.
- 24.22-33.24: Salsberg discusses the experiences of his mother as a young Jewish immigrant and her adjustment to life in Toronto.
- 33.25-37.30: Salsberg discusses the Ward, an area between University and Yonge as being the heartland of early Jewish settlement. He describes the area as being the natural choice for Jews to live, the rents were cheap, Synagogues and community centers were nearby as were and their places of employment. The center for Jewish shopping was Kensington Market with shops along McCaul and Baldwin Streets, shopping at Eatons was reserved for “special occasions”.
- 37.32-39.50: Salsberg discusses the hardships faced by Polish immigrant Jews arriving in Toronto after World War One.
- 39.52-44.45: Salsberg discusses his father an Orthodox man who eventually went into the junk business and became one of the founders of the first Talmud Torah, his mother was active in the Ladies Auxillary of the School and remained it’s President for 50 years.
- End
- Side 2:
- 0.03-5.37: Salsberg discusses the religious and cultural divisions that dominated social and communal living in Poland under Czarist rule and the resulting division between Jews and non- Jewish Polish immigrants in Toronto
- 5.38-8.28: Salsberg discusses the example set by his mother on matters of religious observance and importance of the woman’s role in the family.
- 8.29-11.08: Salsberg discusses his mother’s activities outside the home. Sarah Salsberg was the first woman to challenge the burial custom of not allowing husband and wife to be buried side by side. Sarah won her challenge and was buried alongside her husband.
- 11.10-12.28: Salsberg discusses his orientation towards labor Zionism and his parent’s reaction to his political views. Sarah Salsberg was a “broad-minded” woman and friendly with those active in the movement, while his father clung to his own group.
- 12.29-13.53: Salsberg discusses the garment trade and the organizers who become members of the Ladies Garment Workers Union. Salsberg goes on to speak of his mother’s approval and secret admiration of the women in the Ladies Garment Union.
- 13.54-14.44: Salsberg discusses the role of Jewish immigrant women using the example of the Eatons strike in 1911 led by Jewish tailors, both men and women.
- 14.45-15.00: Salsberg discusses the Triangle Fire in New York as the impetus that led to the birth of the ILGWU in America and the ILGWU’s influence on the Canadian Garment industry.
- 15.03-15.40: Salsberg discusses the New York Yiddish Dailies the “Forward” and Tagblat delivered and read daily by Toronto’s Jewish community as another factor in the establishment of the Ladies Garment Workers Union in Canada.
- 15.41-20.39: Salsberg discusses the introduction by Eatons to changes in production methods that would have tailors, mostly men, taking on the job of women finishers. The refusal by the tailors to take away the jobs of women would lead to the first sit down strike by tailors in Canada.
- 20.40-21.20: Salsberg discusses the recognition of women’s rights in the early garment workers unions. The Dressmakers section of the ILGWU in Toronto was predominantly women who led strikes and fought on picket lines.
- 21.21-23.44: Salsberg discusses Union sentiment within the Jewish community and the enforcement by some of the more militant women on community shopkeepers to use Union labels on their products.
- 23.45-24.39: Salsberg discusses single Jewish women who confronted with financial hardship worked in predominately Jewish factories.
- 24.40-26.07: Salsberg discusses the economic nature of the garment industry, the competition and undercutting in the industry factories and the continuous strikes and stoppages by employees opposed to wage cuts.
- 26.08-31.15: Salsberg discusses the important contributions in the areas of the labor force, education and social responsibility made to Ontario by Jewish immigrant women. Women worked alongside men in order to improve their economic position and establish themselves within the community. Jewish women placed a great emphasis on education and as a result a high percentage of their children would graduate from institutions such as Harbord Collegiate and Jarvis Collegiate with scholarships. Salsberg speaks of his late wife Dora Wilensky who graduated from Jarvis Collegiate with the highest mark of any girl student in Ontario earning a five-year scholarship to McMaster University and becoming a prominent Social Worker within the Jewish community.
- 31.16-33.09: Salsberg discusses the differences in opportunity for young Jewish men and young Jewish women. As the only boy in the family he was expected to set the path by going to a theological school in NY but to the dismay of his parents he became radicalized in leftist politics.
- 33.10-35.55: Although Salsberg’s parents were never involved in the labour movement and disagreed with his leftist philosophy, they were pleased by his election in 1938 as Alderman on Toronto’s City Council and his election to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 1943.
- End
- Source
- Oral Histories
In this clip, Joseph Salsberg discusses the events that led to the birth of the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) in America and the ILGWU's influence on the Canadian Garment Industry.
In this clip, Joseph Salsberg discusses the first sit down strike by tailors in Canada in recognition of women
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 92; Series 3; File 16
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 92
- Series
- 3
- File
- 16
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- [ca. 1945]
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 14 x 10 cm
- Scope and Content
- File consists of a photograph of J.B. Salsberg delivering a speech.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 92; Series 3; File 23
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 92
- Series
- 3
- File
- 23
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1955
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of political flyers and brochures created and distributed by J.B. Salsberg as Member of Provincial Parliament for the St. Andrew riding.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 2; Series 6; File 8
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 6
- File
- 8
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1954-1984
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of correspondence between former Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and Ben Dunkelman. In addition, the file contains a newspaper clipping reporting a trip by Ben-Gurion to Canada. Further correspondence in the file reveals that the Israeli government has decided to grant Dunkelman the rank of Colonel.
- Name Access
- Ben-Gurion, David, 1886-1973
- Subjects
- Prime ministers--Israel
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 2; Series 2; File 23
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 2
- File
- 23
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1960
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File contains correspondence and clippings related to an article Dunkelman wrote criticizing the Leon Uris novel, Exodus. Some correspondence relates to Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion; other correspondence relates to Theodore Kollek.
- Name Access
- Ben-Gurion, David, 1886-1973
- Subjects
- Prime ministers--Israel
- Physical Condition
- Some records are fragile.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 48; Series 2-4; File 43
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 48
- Series
- 2-4
- File
- 43
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1952-1962
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Access Restriction
- Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director prior to accessing the records
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Accession Number
- 2004-1-4
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2004-1-4
- Material Format
- sound recording
- Physical Description
- 7 audio cassettes (ca. 7 hrs.)
- Date
- 1990-1991
- Scope and Content
- Collection consists of a talk by Salsberg to the "Brotherhood" (1 Apr. 1990), 2 interviews with Salsberg by Carol Rosenthall (13 Mar. 1990 and 16 Apr. 1991), and interviews with Rabbi Shemen (July 1991) and S. Lipshitz (1991?) about Salsberg by an unknown interviewer.
- Name Access
- Salsberg, J. B. (Joseph B.), ca. 1903-1998
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 92; Series 4; File 23
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 92
- Series
- 4
- File
- 23
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- [ca. 1938]-1976
- Physical Description
- 3 photographs : b&w ; 26 x 21 cm or smaller
- Scope and Content
- File consists of photographs of J.B. Salsberg delivering a speech and children practicing for a bowlathon likely for the Eitz Chaim Talmud Torah. Also included is a photograph of Salsberg participating in a presentation to young adults with images of Stalin, factories and workers in the background.
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 51; Series 9; File 5
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 51
- Series
- 9
- File
- 5
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- Apr. 1967
- Physical Description
- 5 photographs : b&w and col. ; 25 x 20 cm or smaller
- Scope and Content
- File consists of five photographs of David Ben-Gurion's visit to Toronto. Identified in the photographs are Phil Givens, David Ben-Gurion, and Rabbi Stuart Rosenberg.
- Notes
- Photographs are by Graphic Artists Photographers (Toronto)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 62; Series 8; File 2
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 62
- Series
- 8
- File
- 2
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1985-1998
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File contains several articles written in Yiddish and English, regarding the life of J.B. Salsberg written by Ben Kayfetz. Also included are interview transcripts, and other related research materials.
- Name Access
- Salsberg, J. B. (Joseph B.), ca. 1903-1998
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 92; Series 3; File 7
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 92
- Series
- 3
- File
- 7
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1940-1950
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of pamphlets written by J.B. Salsberg and published by Labour Progressive Party. Included are pamphlets Salsberg wrote as Member of Provincial Parliament.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Philip Givens fonds
- Jewish communal series
- United Jewish Welfare Fund / United Jewish Appeal sub-series
- United Jewish Appeal Mission to Israel file
- Level
- Item
- ID
- Fonds 51; Series 9-7; File 2
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Philip Givens fonds
- Jewish communal series
- United Jewish Welfare Fund / United Jewish Appeal sub-series
- United Jewish Appeal Mission to Israel file
- Level
- Item
- Fonds
- 51
- Series
- 9-7
- File
- 2
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- [Dec. 1967?]
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 20 x 25 cm
- Scope and Content
- Item is a photograph of Phil Givens meeting with David Ben-Gurion, former prime minister of Israel.
- Notes
- The photograph is by Zev Radovan (Jerusalem).
- Name Access
- Ben-Gurion, David, 1886-1973
- Subjects
- Ex-prime ministers
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Accession Number
- 2008-11-2
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2008-11-2
- Material Format
- moving images
- Physical Description
- 1 DVD : 20 min.
- 8 videocassettes : 3/4"
- 1 videocassette (ca. 20 min.) : col., sd.
- Date
- 1991
- Scope and Content
- This accession consists of one DVD, copied from an original videocassette entitled J.B.! The DVD features an interview with J.B. Salsberg as well as other individuals sharing their memories of Salsberg. The DVD was produced by Gabov Apor and Company Ltd. and was executive produced by Salsberg's niece, Dr. Sharyn A. Salsberg Ezrin. It was created for a dinner honouring J. B. Salsberg, which took place on November 13, 1991.
- Also included are the 8 original broadcast U-matic videocassettes containing the raw footage and interviews as well as the finished product.
- Custodial History
- The DVD was in the possession of Ethel Cooper, Chair of the Yiddish Committee and was donated to the Archives on behalf of Dr. Salsberg Ezrin. The videocassettes were given to the Archives by the donor on 28 November, 2008 and was added on to this original accession.
- The videocassette version of the DVD footage was previously donated to OJA by Dr. Salsberg Ezrin and has been added to this accession.
- Name Access
- Salsberg, J. B. (Joseph B.), ca. 1903-1998
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 2; Series 1; File 10
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 1
- File
- 10
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- [194-]-[196-]
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of Ben Dunkleman's personal correspondence with various people including, David Ben-Gurion, Theodore Kollek, Chaim Herzog and Chaim Laskov. The correspondence relates to such topics as Ben and Yael Dunkelman's marriage, the death of Rose Dunkelman, and New Year celebrations.
- Name Access
- Ben-Gurion, David, 1886-1973
- Herzog, Chaim, 1918-1997
- Subjects
- Presidents--Israel
- Prime ministers--Israel
- Physical Condition
- Records are fragile but in good condition.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 92; Series 3; File 39
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 92
- Series
- 3
- File
- 39
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1956-1957
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of records documenting J.B. Salsberg's resignation from the Labour Progressive Party. Included is correspondence, notes, position statements by both Salsberg and the LPP, newspaper clippings, and minutes of a meeting of the Metropolitan Committee of the LPP.
- Name Access
- Labor-Progressive Party
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 51; Series 9-8; File 9
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 51
- Series
- 9-8
- File
- 9
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- 1973
- Physical Description
- 4 photographs : b&w ; 20 x 25 cm and 13 x 18 cm
- Admin History/Bio
- Max Shecter was born on July 7, 1923 to Joseph and Helen Shecter. He was married to Florence Fox and they had three children: Trudy, Debbie and Barry. Max Shecter was the Secretary -Treasurer for Toronto Bedding Company Limited. He was an active member of the Toronto Jewish Community and was affiliated with the following organizations: Beth Sholom Congregation, United Synagogues of America, B'nai Brith, Israel Bond Organization, Joint Community Relations Committee, Canadian Jewish Congress, Zionist Organization of Canada and United Jewish Appeal's Furniture division. Max Shecter was honoured with a Beth Sholom Israel Bond Dinner for dedicated leadership and by Upper Canada Lodge, B'nai Brith in 1959.
- Scope and Content
- File consists of four photographs of Phil Givens attending a memorial in honour of Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. Identified in the photographs are Phil Givens and Max Shecter.
- Notes
- Photographs are by Jacob El-Baz (Toronto) and Benyas-Kaufman Photographers Inc. (Michigan, USA)
- Name Access
- Ben-Gurion, David, 1886-1973
- Shaarei Shomayim Congregation (Toronto, Ont.)
- Subjects
- Prime ministers--Israel
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 2; Series 6; File 17
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 6
- File
- 17
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1961-1962
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File contains two letters, one from Ben Dunkelman to Col. Chaim Ben-David (the military secretary to the Israeli Prime Minister) and one from Ben-David to Dunkelman. The letters relate to Dunkelman's attempt to set the record straight about his role in the Arab-Israeli War.
- Name Access
- Ben-Gurion, David, 1886-1973
- Subjects
- Prime ministers--Israel
- Physical Condition
- Records are fragile.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
- Committee for Soviet Jewry series
- Protest activities sub-series
- Human Rights Day file
- Level
- Item
- ID
- Fonds 17; Series 3-5; File 31
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
- Committee for Soviet Jewry series
- Protest activities sub-series
- Human Rights Day file
- Level
- Item
- Fonds
- 17
- Series
- 3-5
- File
- 31
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- 11 Dec. 1973
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 20 x 25 cm
- Notes
- Photograph by Gadi Hoz.
- Name Access
- Crombie, David, 1936-
- Salsberg, J. B. (Joseph B.), ca. 1903-1998
- Subjects
- Mayors--Canada
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 92; Series 1; File 12
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 92
- Series
- 1
- File
- 12
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1951
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of Karen Kayemeth Leisrael donation certificates for trees planted in memory of J.B. Salsberg's father, Abraham Salsberg.
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Accession Number
- 2017-11-7
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2017-11-7
- Material Format
- graphic material
- textual record
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs : col. ; 13 x 10 cm or smaller
- 1 folder of textual records
- 3 photograph : b&w (.jpg)
- Date
- 1913, 1954-1984
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of two photographs from a 1984 Salsberg family reunion, photo copies of Irving Salsberg's birth registration, and a Canadian Jewish News article reviewing Gerry Salsberg in his role of Tevye in the 1994 production of Fiddler on the Roof. In addition, there are colour photo copies of the Salsberg siblings, Gerry Salsberg and cast from the 1972 production of Godspell and another of Gerry with what appears to be an acting troupe in celebration of "Neigbours" at Burks Falls arena in 1976. In addition, there are two photos of Sammy Salberg, who was a famous pitcher in the sand lot leagues in Toronto in the early 1930s, throwing the opening pitch at the 2012 opening game at the Rogers Centre on the occassion of his 90th birthday.
- Photo Captions:
- 001: Salsberg family reunion with J.B. Salsberg (centre) distributing "I am a Salsberg" t-shirts, 51 Cliftwood, (Toronto, ON), 23 Jun. 1984.
- 002: Salsberg family reunion with J.B. Salsberg (centre) viewing the distribution of "I am a Salsberg" t-shirts, 51 Cliftwood, (Toronto, ON), 23 Jun. 1984.
- 003: Celebration of [performance] at Burks Falls Arena, August 1976. Standing right Gerry Salsberg.
- 004: Siblings Karen, Stan, Gerry and Barry Salsberg at the wedding of their cousin Marjorie Rose to Malcolm Swartz, Beth Shalom, (Toronto, ON), ca. 1954
- 005: Cast from 1972 Godspell production at the Royal Alexander Theatre. Pictured from left to right are Jayne Eastwood, Martin Short, Andrea Martin, Avril Chown, [Derek McGrath], [unidentified], Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, Gerry Salsberg and Rudy Webb. 006: Original cast of Torotno's Second City with Gilda Radner (holding Honest Ed's shopping bag), Brian Doyle-Murray, Gerry Salsberg, Dan Aykroyd, Joe Flaherty, Jane Eastwood and Valri Bromfield, (Toronto, ON), June 1973. 007: Barry, Gerry and Sammy Salsberg, Blue Jay's opening pitch, Rogers Centre, Toronto, 2012. 008: Sammy Salsberg's 90th birthday, Blue Jay's opening pitch, Rogers Centre, Toronto, 2012.
- Use Conditions
- Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.
- Descriptive Notes
- Physical description note: All textual records donated are photo copies.
- Associated Material: Second City Chicago Archives (digital record donation)
- Subjects
- Arts
- Theater
- Name Access
- Salsberg, Gerry, 1949-2010
- Salsberg, J. B. (Joseph B.), ca. 1903-1998
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 48; Series 5; File 34
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 48
- Series
- 5
- File
- 34
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1958-1972
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Item
- ID
- Fonds 37; Series 4; Item 52
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Item
- Fonds
- 37
- Series
- 4
- Item
- 52
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- [197-?]
- Physical Description
- 1 negative : b&w ; 18 x 13 cm
- Admin History/Bio
- Joe B. Salsberg was born in Lagov, Poland and emigrated to Canada in 1913 at the age of 11. His parents names were Sarah and Abraham. He initially studied to become a rabbi, but at the age of 13 was forced by economic circumstances to begin working the sweatshops. These experiences lead him to a life of activism, fighting to improve the wages and working conditions for labourers. Salsberg married Dora Wilensky.
- He joined the Zionist worker's group and in 1926 the Communist Party of Canada. He worked as a Labour Zionist executive, a union organizer, Communist Party union strategist, journalist, activist and was president of Model Insurance Agency Limited. He was also a Toronto Alderman in 1938 and again in 1943 and was voted into parliament as an M.P.P. representative of the Labour Progressive Party in 1943-1955. He was actively involved in introducing the Ontario Human Rights Code in reaction to a decision to disallow Jews and blacks into certain pools as well as other anti-Semitic behavior in Ontario.
- After visiting Russia on two occasions to study and discuss with Russian leaders the Jewish problems in Russia, Salsberg renounced Stalin and his own participation in Communism.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Joseph B. Salsberg taken by Al Gilbert.
- Name Access
- Salsberg, J. B. (Joseph B.), ca. 1903-1998
- Subjects
- Politicians
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Related Material
- See also Joe Salsberg fonds: Accession # 1998-2-2, 1998-12-5
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 92; Series 1; File 1
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 92
- Series
- 1
- File
- 1
- Material Format
- graphic material
- textual record
- Date
- 1924-1954
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- 6 photographs : b&w ; 25 x 20 cm or smaller
- Admin History/Bio
- Dora Wilensky Salsberg was one of Toronto’s earliest professionally trained Jewish social workers and a leader in the Canadian social work field. She was born in Russia on July 28, 1902 to Hyman and Mary Wilensky. She had three younger sisters: Bertha (b. 1903) Jenny (b. 1905), and Fagel (b.1910). In 1907, the family immigrated to Toronto where Hyman worked at a cap factory.
- Dora had the highest marks in the province of Ontario upon graduating from high school and graduated as a gold medalist in modern history from McMaster University in Toronto. She initially pursued a career in teaching, but had difficulty securing a job due to discrimination. When her only job offer from Oshawa was given on the condition that she change her last name, Dora decided become a social worker.
- After studying at the New York School for Social Work and working briefly in Chicago, Dora returned to Toronto and took up the position as Executive Director of the Jewish Family Welfare Bureau in 1931. When the JF&CS was formed in 1943 she served as its first Executive Director. Under her leadership, JF&CS gained a reputation as being one of the most advanced and progressive agencies in Toronto. She was among the first to hire a psychiatric social worker and to introduce play therapy as part of treatment; she remained on top of advances being made in the field in other countries and encouraged her staff to regularly engage in professional development activities.
- Dora was also actively involved in various professional organizations. She was a member of the National Board of the Canadian Association of Social Workers, served on the Board of Governors and various committees of the Canadian Welfare Council, and was active on the Social Planning Council (formerly the Welfare Council of Toronto). In addition, she was instrumental in the establishment of the University of Toronto’s post-graduate course in social work. For her service to the field, she earned both the King George V and Coronation medals.
- Around 1925, Dora married J.B. Salsberg. Although she legally adopted his name, she always used her maiden name professionally. They did not have any children. On March 20, 1959, Dora passed away from cancer at the age of 56.
- Scope and Content
- File consists of records documenting the life and activities of J.B. Salsberg's wife, Dora Wilensky. Included is a graduation portrait of Dora, a photograph of Dora likely standing outside of McMaster Hall on graduation day, a photograph of Dora standing near a lake (ca. 1940), professional portraits of Dora, an I.L. Peretz School graduation book, correspondence regarding the death of Dora's mother, and a newsletter of the Canadian Welfare Council of Ontario.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Accession Number
- 2017-8-10
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2017-8-10
- Material Format
- multiple media
- Physical Description
- 3 cm of textual records
- 3 photographs : b&w ; 13 x 9 cm and smaller
- 1 DVD
- Date
- [ca. 1920]-2012
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of records related to the history of the Dora Wilensky Salsberg Memorial Fund at Jewish Family and Child. Included are: a Canadian Jewish News feature ("Legacy of Life") on Dora Wilensky; a Dora Wilensky Memorial Fund pamphlet; correspondence from J.B. Salsberg regarding Sharyn’s ongoing role with the Jewish Communal Service Graduate Studies Scholarship Program; correspondence regarding the Fund between Sharyn Salsberg Ezrin and Richard Cummings, Ron Levin, Gordon Wolfe, and Sam Helfenbaum; fund and endowment statements regarding the Dora Wilensky Memorial Fund; and correspondence between Sharyn and the Toronto Jewish Congress Endowment Fund. Also includes: records documenting the J.B. Salsberg Tribute Dinner held at Beth Sholom Synagogue on November 13, 1991; Canadian Jewish News and Toronto Life profiles of J.B. Salsberg; an interview of J.B. Salsberg by Sandy Naiman; J.B. Salsberg's eulogy by Irving Abella; and one DVD of a J.B. Salsberg video tribute. Also includes three photographs of J.B. Salsberg and Dora Wilensky, and four issues of various JF&CS publications.
- Administrative History
- Dora Wilensky Salsberg was one of Toronto’s earliest professionally trained Jewish social workers and a leader in the Canadian social work field. She was born in Russia on July 28, 1902 to Hyman and Mary Wilensky. She had three younger sisters: Bertha (b. 1903) Jenny (b. 1905), and Fagel (b.1910). In 1907, the family immigrated to Toronto where Hyman worked at a cap factory.
- Dora had the highest marks in the province of Ontario upon graduating from high school and graduated as a gold medalist in modern history from McMaster University in Toronto. She initially pursued a career in teaching, but had difficulty securing a job due to discrimination. When her only job offer from Oshawa was given on the condition that she change her last name, Dora decided to become a social worker.
- After studying at the New York School for Social Work and working briefly in Chicago, Dora returned to Toronto and took up the position as Executive Director of the Jewish Family Welfare Bureau in 1931. When the JF&CS was formed in 1943 she served as its first Executive Director. Under her leadership, JF&CS gained a reputation as being one of the most advanced and progressive agencies in Toronto. She was among the first to hire a psychiatric social worker and to introduce play therapy as part of treatment; she remained on top of advances being made in the field in other countries and encouraged her staff to regularly engage in professional development activities.
- Dora attempted to enter the United States for professional development in the fall of 1948. She was refused entry by the commissioner of immigration and naturalization. Her aim was to attend a postgraduate course in social work at the University of Pennsylvania. In spite of numerous official letters of endorsement, her application for admission was denied.
- Dora was also actively involved in various professional organizations. She was a member of the National Board of the Canadian Association of Social Workers, served on the Board of Governors and various committees of the Canadian Welfare Council, and was active on the Social Planning Council (formerly the Welfare Council of Toronto). In addition, she was instrumental in the establishment of the University of Toronto’s post-graduate course in social work. For her service to the field, she earned both the King George V and Coronation medals.
- In 1927, Dora married J. B. Salsberg. Although she legally adopted his name, she always used her maiden name professionally. They did not have any children. On March 20, 1959, Dora passed away from cancer at the age of 56.
- Subjects
- Charities
- Charities
- Name Access
- Salsberg, J. B. (Joseph B.), ca. 1903-1998
- Wilensky, Dora, 1902-1959
- Places
- Toronto, Ont.
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2018-1-7
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2018-1-7
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- object
- Physical Description
- 6 cm of textual records
- 104 photographs : b&w and col. (3 slides) ; 30 x 23 cm and smaller
- 1 banner
- Date
- 1919-1991
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of handwritten Yiddish writings from the 1930s and 1940s; newspaper clippings about Salsberg's move away from the Communist Party; tributes to Dora Wilensky including newsletters and journals from the Canadian Association of Social Workers, the Ontario Welfare Council, and the Neighborhood Workers Association; correspondence and a newspaper clipping about the Dora Wilensky Fund; drafts and newspaper clippings of tributes to poet Melech Ravitch; and miscellany including a banner from the Labour Council of Kiryat Yam commemorating a medical centre named in honour of Salsberg, a floor plan of the 21st legislature of Ontario parliament, and a publication of the story The Young Wanderer by Eliezer Smoli and Moshe Smilansky 1945. In addition, the accession includes letters by J. B. Salsberg to his wife Dora Wilensky and various letters to Salsberg from individuals such as politician Leslie M. Frost, actor Lou Jacobi, and president of the Workmen's Circle Israel Breslow. Of particular note is a letter from the Consulate General of the United States, including a copy of an order from the Department of Justice confirming his defection from the Communist Party and granting entrance into the United States according to the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. Also included are photographs of an art exhibition by Israel Kaplansky 1983; family photographs and portraits; photographs of J. B. Salsberg at various events; photographs of Dora Wilensky's family; and three 35 mm slides of J. B. Salsberg.
- Administrative History
- Joseph Baruch Salsberg (1902-1998) was a labour leader, political activist, politician, insurance salesman, and journalist. He was also active in various Jewish organizations, including: the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto, and the New Fraternal Jewish Association. He is well-remembered by contemporaries, such as Sam Lipshitz, as a “champion of the people”, committed to social justice, the plight of the working class, and the preservation of Jewish culture.
- J. B. was born in Lagov, Poland on November 5, 1902 to Abraham and Sarah-Gittel Salsberg. Abraham immigrated to Toronto in 1910 and J. B. followed with his mother and two younger sisters in 1913. They settled at 73 Cecil Street. Abraham and Sarah-Gittel had additional children in Canada: Nathan (b. 1915), Reuven (Bob or Robert, b. 1917), Betty, and Thelma. Abraham worked as a peddler in Toronto.
- J. B. briefly attended Landsdowne Public School, but dropped out around 1915, against his parents' wishes, and took a job in a leather goods factory to contribute to his family’s income. J. B.’s parents had hoped he would become a rabbi and, despite his full-time employment, J.B. continued to study the Torah with scholars at the synagogue on Centre Avenue.
- In 1917, J. B. decided to pursue the ideas of Zionism and socialism and, abandoning his plans to become a rabbi, became involved in establishing the Young Poale Zion organization, a Labour Zionist youth group dedicated to secular aims. Around 1922, J. B. was made secretary general of the Young Poale Zion of America in New York, where he worked for one year. Shortly after returning to Toronto, he became the organizer for the Hat, Cap, and Millinery Workers Union of North America in Chicago. J. B. married Dora Wilensky in 1927.
- In 1926, J. B. joined the Communist Party of Canada (CPC). He was an active member of the CPC for 30 years, serving as the head of its Trade Union Department for two decades. In 1929 he was suspended from the party for one year as a dissenter. In 1932, he became the Southern Ontario District union organizer for the Communist Workers' Unity League.
- It was as a member of the CPC that J. B. entered electoral politics. After a series of failed bids in municipal and provincial elections between 1935 and 1937, J. B. was elected alderman of Ward 4 in Toronto in 1938. He only held the position for one year. In 1943, J. B. was elected to the Ontario Legislature as the representative for the St. Andrew riding. J. B. sat as Member of Provincial Parliament for the Labor-Progressive Party (the provincial wing of the CPC) for 12 years. For several years, he was the only elected Communist in North America. As MPP, he helped create legislation banning discrimination in public places and introduced a bill that would ensure fair employment practices in the province. He lost his seat to Allan Grossman in 1955 and unsuccessfully ran in the federal election later that year. Remembered by journalist Gordon Sinclair as “one of the best debaters in the house”, J. B. was well-respected by members of all political parties. Out of admiration for J. B., Conservative Premier Leslie Frost named Salsberg Township in Northern Ontario in his honour.
- Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, J. B. had grown increasingly concerned about reports of Soviet antisemitism and privately urged party leaders to pursue the issue. In 1956, when Soviet First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev exposed the transgressions of Stalin’s regime, J. B. went to Moscow as part of a CPC delegation. After meeting with Khrushchev himself, it became clear to J. B. that antisemitism was indeed a problem in the USSR and that his efforts to probe the situation were being stonewalled.
- J. B. publicly expressed his concerns about Soviet antisemitism in a series of articles published in the Vochenblatt from October 25, 1956 to December 13, 1956. He finally left the Communist Party in 1957. However, he remained a member of the United Jewish People’s Order (UJPO), a Communist Jewish fraternal organization.
- Entering the business world, J. B. established the Model Insurance Agency Limited in 1957, where he served as president for several years. In 1959 J. B.’s wife, Dora, passed away. Around this time J. B. also resigned from the UJPO, along with other members who felt the organization needed to be more critical of the Soviet Union. They founded an alternative, non-Communist left-wing Jewish organization, the New Fraternal Jewish Association, where J. B. served as president for several terms and edited its publication “Fraternally Yours”.
- In his later life, J. B. was active as an executive member of organizations, such as the CJC and the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. He was the first chairman for the CJC Ontario Region’s Soviet Jewry Committee and the Committee for Yiddish. He also began writing an award-winning weekly column for the Canadian Jewish News. J. B. was awarded the CJC’s Samuel Bronfman Medal for distinguished service, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto’s Ben Sadowski Award of Merit. A strong supporter of Israel, he was involved in the creation of two Israeli medical centres that are named in his honour. He also helped establish the J. B. and Dora Salsberg Fund and the J. B. Salsberg Fund for Yiddish at the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto. J. B. passed away in 1998.
- Name Access
- Salsberg, J. B. (Joseph B.), ca. 1903-1998
- Wilensky, Dora, 1902-1959
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2018-8-19
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2018-8-19
- Material Format
- multiple media
- Physical Description
- 30 cm of textual records and other material
- 4 audio cassettes
- 2 videocassettes
- 1 optical disc
- Date
- 1991-2008
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of material documenting J. B. Salsberg. Included are: tributes to him on his ninetieth birthday, his death in 1998, and the ten-year anniversary of his death in 2008. These include descriptions of his accomplishments and recorded interviews, including transcripts, with a number of his colleagues and friends. Included also are five microcassettes of interviews held in June 1991 with Norman Penner, Harry Simon (two tapes), Morris Biderman, Bob Nixon, and Ethel Harris.
- Administrative History
- Joseph Baruch Salsberg (1902-1998) was a labour leader, political activist, politician, insurance salesman, and journalist. He was also active in various Jewish organizations, including: the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto, and the New Fraternal Jewish Association. He is well-remembered by contemporaries, such as Sam Lipshitz, as a “champion of the people”, committed to social justice, the plight of the working class, and the preservation of Jewish culture.
- J. B. was born in Lagov, Poland on November 5, 1902 to Abraham and Sarah-Gittel Salsberg. Abraham immigrated to Toronto in 1910 and J. B. followed with his mother and two younger sisters in 1913. They settled at 73 Cecil Street. Abraham and Sarah-Gittel had additional children in Canada: Nathan (b. 1915), Reuven (Bob or Robert, b. 1917), Betty, and Thelma. Abraham worked as a peddler in Toronto.
- J. B. briefly attended Landsdowne Public School, but dropped out around 1915, against his parents' wishes, and took a job in a leather goods factory to contribute to his family’s income. J. B.’s parents had hoped he would become a rabbi and, despite his full-time employment, J.B. continued to study the Torah with scholars at the synagogue on Centre Avenue.
- In 1917, J. B. decided to pursue the ideas of Zionism and socialism and, abandoning his plans to become a rabbi, became involved in establishing the Young Poale Zion organization, a Labour Zionist youth group dedicated to secular aims. Around 1922, J. B. was made secretary general of the Young Poale Zion of America in New York, where he worked for one year. Shortly after returning to Toronto, he became the organizer for the Hat, Cap, and Millinery Workers Union of North America in Chicago. J. B. married Dora Wilensky in 1927.
- In 1926, J. B. joined the Communist Party of Canada (CPC). He was an active member of the CPC for 30 years, serving as the head of its Trade Union Department for two decades. In 1929 he was suspended from the party for one year as a dissenter. In 1932, he became the Southern Ontario District union organizer for the Communist Workers' Unity League.
- It was as a member of the CPC that J. B. entered electoral politics. After a series of failed bids in municipal and provincial elections between 1935 and 1937, J. B. was elected alderman of Ward 4 in Toronto in 1938. He only held the position for one year. In 1943, J. B. was elected to the Ontario Legislature as the representative for the St. Andrew riding. J. B. sat as Member of Provincial Parliament for the Labor-Progressive Party (the provincial wing of the CPC) for 12 years. For several years, he was the only elected Communist in North America. As MPP, he helped create legislation banning discrimination in public places and introduced a bill that would ensure fair employment practices in the province. He lost his seat to Allan Grossman in 1955 and unsuccessfully ran in the federal election later that year. Remembered by journalist Gordon Sinclair as “one of the best debaters in the house”, J. B. was well-respected by members of all political parties. Out of admiration for J. B., Conservative Premier Leslie Frost named Salsberg Township in Northern Ontario in his honour.
- Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, J. B. had grown increasingly concerned about reports of Soviet antisemitism and privately urged party leaders to pursue the issue. In 1956, when Soviet First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev exposed the transgressions of Stalin’s regime, J. B. went to Moscow as part of a CPC delegation. After meeting with Khrushchev himself, it became clear to J. B. that antisemitism was indeed a problem in the USSR and that his efforts to probe the situation were being stonewalled.
- J. B. publicly expressed his concerns about Soviet antisemitism in a series of articles published in the Vochenblatt from October 25, 1956 to December 13, 1956. He finally left the Communist Party in 1957. However, he remained a member of the United Jewish People’s Order (UJPO), a Communist Jewish fraternal organization.
- Entering the business world, J. B. established the Model Insurance Agency Limited in 1957, where he served as president for several years. In 1959 J. B.’s wife, Dora, passed away. Around this time J. B. also resigned from the UJPO, along with other members who felt the organization needed to be more critical of the Soviet Union. They founded an alternative, non-Communist left-wing Jewish organization, the New Fraternal Jewish Association, where J. B. served as president for several terms and edited its publication “Fraternally Yours”.
- In his later life, J. B. was active as an executive member of organizations, such as the CJC and the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. He was the first chairman for the CJC Ontario Region’s Soviet Jewry Committee and the Committee for Yiddish. He also began writing an award-winning weekly column for the Canadian Jewish News. J. B. was awarded the CJC’s Samuel Bronfman Medal for distinguished service, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto’s Ben Sadowski Award of Merit. A strong supporter of Israel, he was involved in the creation of two Israeli medical centres that are named in his honour. He also helped establish the J. B. and Dora Salsberg Fund and the J. B. Salsberg Fund for Yiddish at the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto. J. B. passed away in 1998.
- Subjects
- Labor leaders
- Politicians
- Name Access
- Salsberg, J. B. (Joseph B.), ca. 1903-1998
- Places
- Toronto (Ont.)
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2018-11-15
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2018-11-15
- Material Format
- textual record
- Physical Description
- ca. 7 cm. of textual records
- Date
- 1958-1978
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of material documenting J. B. Salsberg. Included are: articles, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, and handwritten notes collected by Salsberg that reflect his interests in politics and the Jewish community. The accession contains information from many sources including clippings from Yiddish/Jewish newspapers and publications such as the Chronicle Review, the Jewish Observer, the Middle East Review, the Daily Hebrew Journal, and the Jewish Standard. Subject matter includes: the oppression of Jews in the Soviet Union, an NDP policy booklet, the Canadian Journal of History and Social Science, Canadian Jewish population studies, articles on Meir Kahane and the Jewish Defense League, and information from the Canadian Jewish Congress.
- Administrative History
- Joseph Baruch Salsberg (1902-1998) was a labour leader, political activist, politician, insurance salesman, and journalist. He was also active in various Jewish organizations, including: the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto, and the New Fraternal Jewish Association. He is well-remembered by contemporaries, such as Sam Lipshitz, as a “champion of the people”, committed to social justice, the plight of the working class, and the preservation of Jewish culture.
- J. B. was born in Lagov, Poland on November 5, 1902 to Abraham and Sarah-Gittel Salsberg. Abraham immigrated to Toronto in 1910 and J. B. followed with his mother and two younger sisters in 1913. They settled at 73 Cecil Street. Abraham and Sarah-Gittel had additional children in Canada: Nathan (b. 1915), Reuven (Bob or Robert, b. 1917), Betty, and Thelma. Abraham worked as a peddler in Toronto.
- J. B. briefly attended Landsdowne Public School, but dropped out around 1915, against his parents' wishes, and took a job in a leather goods factory to contribute to his family’s income. J. B.’s parents had hoped he would become a rabbi and, despite his full-time employment, J.B. continued to study the Torah with scholars at the synagogue on Centre Avenue.
- In 1917, J. B. decided to pursue the ideas of Zionism and socialism and, abandoning his plans to become a rabbi, became involved in establishing the Young Poale Zion organization, a Labour Zionist youth group dedicated to secular aims. Around 1922, J. B. was made secretary general of the Young Poale Zion of America in New York, where he worked for one year. Shortly after returning to Toronto, he became the organizer for the Hat, Cap, and Millinery Workers Union of North America in Chicago. J. B. married Dora Wilensky in 1927.
- In 1926, J. B. joined the Communist Party of Canada (CPC). He was an active member of the CPC for 30 years, serving as the head of its Trade Union Department for two decades. In 1929 he was suspended from the party for one year as a dissenter. In 1932, he became the Southern Ontario District union organizer for the Communist Workers' Unity League.
- It was as a member of the CPC that J. B. entered electoral politics. After a series of failed bids in municipal and provincial elections between 1935 and 1937, J. B. was elected alderman of Ward 4 in Toronto in 1938. He only held the position for one year. In 1943, J. B. was elected to the Ontario Legislature as the representative for the St. Andrew riding. J. B. sat as Member of Provincial Parliament for the Labor-Progressive Party (the provincial wing of the CPC) for 12 years. For several years, he was the only elected Communist in North America. As MPP, he helped create legislation banning discrimination in public places and introduced a bill that would ensure fair employment practices in the province. He lost his seat to Allan Grossman in 1955 and unsuccessfully ran in the federal election later that year. Remembered by journalist Gordon Sinclair as “one of the best debaters in the house”, J. B. was well-respected by members of all political parties. Out of admiration for J. B., Conservative Premier Leslie Frost named Salsberg Township in Northern Ontario in his honour.
- Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, J. B. had grown increasingly concerned about reports of Soviet antisemitism and privately urged party leaders to pursue the issue. In 1956, when Soviet First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev exposed the transgressions of Stalin’s regime, J. B. went to Moscow as part of a CPC delegation. After meeting with Khrushchev himself, it became clear to J. B. that antisemitism was indeed a problem in the USSR and that his efforts to probe the situation were being stonewalled.
- J. B. publicly expressed his concerns about Soviet antisemitism in a series of articles published in the Vochenblatt from October 25, 1956 to December 13, 1956. He finally left the Communist Party in 1957. However, he remained a member of the United Jewish People’s Order (UJPO), a Communist Jewish fraternal organization.
- Entering the business world, J. B. established the Model Insurance Agency Limited in 1957, where he served as president for several years. In 1959 J. B.’s wife, Dora, passed away. Around this time J. B. also resigned from the UJPO, along with other members who felt the organization needed to be more critical of the Soviet Union. They founded an alternative, non-Communist left-wing Jewish organization, the New Fraternal Jewish Association, where J. B. served as president for several terms and edited its publication “Fraternally Yours”.
- In his later life, J. B. was active as an executive member of organizations, such as the CJC and the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. He was the first chairman for the CJC Ontario Region’s Soviet Jewry Committee and the Committee for Yiddish. He also began writing an award-winning weekly column for the Canadian Jewish News. J. B. was awarded the CJC’s Samuel Bronfman Medal for distinguished service, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto’s Ben Sadowski Award of Merit. A strong supporter of Israel, he was involved in the creation of two Israeli medical centres that are named in his honour. He also helped establish the J. B. and Dora Salsberg Fund and the J. B. Salsberg Fund for Yiddish at the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto. J. B. passed away in 1998.
- Name Access
- Salsberg, J. B. (Joseph B.), ca. 1903-1998
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 18; Series 3-2; File 6
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 18
- Series
- 3-2
- File
- 6
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- Feb. 1961
- Physical Description
- 3 negatives : b&w ; 10 x 13 cm
- Scope and Content
- File consists of images taken at an Israel Histadrut meeting, that featured J. B. Salsberg as guest speaker. The images depict Salsberg standing at the podium addressing the audience.
- Name Access
- Salsberg, J. B. (Joseph B.), ca. 1903-1998
- Subjects
- Orators
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.
- Physical Condition
- Segregated due to vinegar syndrome. Item 2 has very slight rippling.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 18; Series 3; File 11
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 18
- Series
- 3
- File
- 11
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- 9 Sept. 1970
- Physical Description
- 3 negatives : b&w ; 6 x 6 cm
- Scope and Content
- File consists of three images of the Canada Israel Committee addressing a large crowd at Beth David Synagogue in Toronto.
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Joseph Baruch Salsberg fonds
- Level
- Fonds
- Fonds
- 92
- Material Format
- multiple media
- Date
- 1914-1993
- Physical Description
- 1.2 m of textual records (2 v.) and other material
- Admin History/Bio
- Joseph Baruch Salsberg (1902-1998) was a labour leader, political activist, politician, insurance salesman, and journalist. He was also active in various Jewish organizations, including the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto, and the New Fraternal Jewish Association. He is well-remembered by contemporaries, such as Sam Lipshitz, as a “champion of the people," committed to social justice, the plight of the working class, and the preservation of Jewish culture.
- J. B. was born in Lagov, Poland on November 5, 1902 to Abraham and Sarah-Gittel Salsberg. Abraham immigrated to Toronto in 1910 and J. B. followed with his mother and two younger sisters in 1913. They settled at 73 Cecil Street. Abraham and Sarah-Gittel had additional children in Canada: Nathan (b. 1915), Reuven (Bob or Robert, b. 1917), Betty, and Thelma. Abraham worked as a peddler in Toronto.
- J. B. briefly attended Landsdowne Public School, but dropped out around 1915, against his parents' wishes, and took a job in a leather goods factory to contribute to his family’s income. J. B.’s parents had hoped he would become a rabbi and, despite his full-time employment, J.B. continued to study Torah with scholars at the synagogue on Centre Avenue.
- In 1917, J. B. decided to pursue the ideas of Zionism and socialism and, abandoning his plans to become a rabbi, became involved in establishing the Young Poale Zion organization, a Labour Zionist youth group dedicated to secular aims. Around 1922, J. B. was made secretary general of the Young Poale Zion of America in New York, where he worked for one year. Shortly after returning to Toronto, he became the organizer for the Hat, Cap, and Millinery Workers Union of North America in Chicago. J. B. married Dora Wilensky in 1927.
- In 1926, J. B. joined the Communist Party of Canada (CPC). He was an active member of the CPC for 30 years, serving as the head of its Trade Union Department for two decades. In 1929 he was suspended from the party for one year as a dissenter. In 1932, he became the Southern Ontario District union organizer for the Communist Workers' Unity League.
- It was as a member of the CPC that J. B. entered electoral politics. After a series of failed bids in municipal and provincial elections between 1935 and 1937, J. B. was elected alderman of Ward 4 in Toronto in 1938. He only held the position for one year. In 1943, J. B. was elected to the Ontario Legislature as the representative for the St. Andrew riding. J. B. sat as member of provincial parliament for the Labor-Progressive Party (the provincial wing of the CPC) for 12 years. For several years, he was the only elected Communist in North America. As MPP, he helped create legislation banning discrimination in public places and introduced a bill that would ensure fair employment practices in the province. He lost his seat to Allan Grossman in 1955 and unsuccessfully ran in the federal election later that year. Remembered by journalist Gordon Sinclair as “one of the best debaters in the house," J. B. was well-respected by members of all political parties. Out of admiration for J. B., Conservative Premier Leslie Frost named Salsberg Township in Northern Ontario in his honour.
- Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, J. B. had grown increasingly concerned about reports of Soviet antisemitism and privately urged party leaders to pursue the issue. In 1956, when Soviet First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev exposed the transgressions of Stalin’s regime, J. B. went to Moscow as part of a CPC delegation. After meeting with Khrushchev himself, it became clear to J. B. that antisemitism was indeed a problem in the USSR and that his efforts to probe the situation were being stonewalled.
- J. B. publicly expressed his concerns about Soviet antisemitism in a series of articles published in the Vochenblatt from October 25, 1956 to December 13, 1956. He finally left the Communist Party in 1957. However, he remained a member of the United Jewish People’s Order (UJPO), a Communist Jewish fraternal organization.
- Entering the business world, J. B. established the Model Insurance Agency Limited in 1957, where he served as president for several years. In 1959 J. B.’s wife, Dora, passed away. Around this time J. B. also resigned from the UJPO, along with other members who felt the organization needed to be more critical of the Soviet Union. They founded an alternative, non-Communist, left-wing Jewish organization, the New Fraternal Jewish Association, where J. B. served as president for several terms and edited its publication, Fraternally Yours.
- In his later life, J. B. was active as an executive member of organizations, such as the CJC and the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. He was the first chairman for the CJC Ontario Region’s Soviet Jewry Committee and the Committee for Yiddish. He also began writing an award-winning weekly column for the Canadian Jewish News. J. B. was awarded the CJC’s Samuel Bronfman Medal for distinguished service, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto’s Ben Sadowski Award of Merit. A strong supporter of Israel, he was involved in the creation of two Israeli medical centres that are named in his honour. He also helped establish the J. B. and Dora Salsberg Fund and the J. B. Salsberg Fund for Yiddish at the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto. J. B. passed away in 1998.
- Custodial History
- The records were donated to the OJA in a series of accessions. Material from accessions 1991-5-4 and 1992-9-4 were donated by J. B. Salsberg. The remaining material was donated by his estate after his death.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records documenting J. B. Salsberg's personal, professional and Jewish communal activities. The bulk of the records are textual and relate to his membership in the CPC (later LPP), election campaigns, and Jewish communal work. Included is correspondence; photographs; reports; political writings; certificates; agendas; pamphlets; brochures; booklets; flyers; campaign literature; campaign notes; posters; newspaper clippings; press releases; articles; transcripts; speeches; telegrams; political platforms, briefs and submissions; statements; constitutions; resolutions; newspapers; meeting minutes; bulletins; periodicals; notebooks; notes; course guides and outlines; medallions; pins; plaques; donation receipts; event invitations and programmes; lists; blank employment applications; a school test; a study; a coin; a drawing; a sketch; an audio cassette; and a delegate card.
- Records are arranged into the following five series: 1. Personal ; 2. Labour Zionism and union activities ; 3. Political career ; and, 4. Jewish community involvement. There are also four files and one item attached directly to the fonds.
- Notes
- Physical Description Note: Includes 53 photographs, 7 medallions, 11 pins, 4 posters, 2 plaques, 1 sketch, 1 drawing, 1 audio cassette, 1 desk name plate, and 1 coin.
- Physical Extent Note: Fonds was reduced from approximately 7 metres to 1.5 metres. The culled material consisted primarily of published books, periodicals and pamphlets that had been collected by J. B. Salsberg. For further details about what was culled please view the accession records.
- Associated Material Note: Queen's University Archive also has a J. B. Salsberg fonds, 14 hours of interview tapes with J. B. Salsberg and records of the UJPO are held by the Multicultural Historical Society of Ontario (MHSO).
- Name Access
- Salsberg, J. B. (Joseph B.), ca. 1903-1998
- Subjects
- Labor leaders
- Politicians
- Related Material
- For additional records in OJA's holdings, see: Ben Kayfetz fonds 62, series 8, file 2 ; accession 2008-11-2 ; accession 2004-1-4 ; and oral histories AC 71 and AC 226.
- Creator
- Salsberg, Joseph Baruch, 1902-1998
- Accession Number
- 1991-5-4
- 1992-9-4
- 1998-2-2
- 1998-12-5
- 2004-5-28
- 2010-4-1
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Gordon Mendly fonds
- Portraits series
- Level
- Item
- ID
- Fonds 18; Series 1; Item 20
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Gordon Mendly fonds
- Portraits series
- Level
- Item
- Fonds
- 18
- Series
- 1
- Item
- 20
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- [ca. 1960]
- Physical Description
- 1 negative : b&w ; 18 x 13 cm
- Admin History/Bio
- Benjamin Gershon Kayfetz was born in Toronto on 24 December 1916, the son of Max and Leah Kayfetz. He graduated with a B.A. in modern languages from the University of Toronto in 1939, and a B.E.D. from the Ontario College of Education in 1940. In 1955, he married Eva (née Silver) and had three daughters: Zena (Tanenbaum), Tamara (Kingston) and Rebecca (Hamill).
- Between the years 1941 and 1943, he worked as a high school teacher in Huntsville and Niagara Falls. In 1943, he joined the war effort, working for the Department of National Defense in Postal Censorship and was responsible for reviewing prisoner of war mail. After the war, Kayfetz traveled to British-occupied Germany, where he worked as a censor of telecommunications with the Control Commission until 1947.
- Upon returning to Toronto, he was hired as the national director of Community Relations by the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), and the national executive director of the Joint Community Relations Committee (JCRC), a CJC - B'nai B'rith cooperative organization. He also served as the central region executive director of the CJC between 1973 and 1978. During his tenure, he worked with various churches, unions and minority groups to develop anti-discrimination laws and for the protection of minority and religious rights.
- Kayfetz was also actively involved in promoting the welfare of Jewish communities worldwide, and made visits to Cuba in 1962 and 1965, and Russia in 1985. After his retirement in 1985, he was awarded the Samuel Bronfman Medal by the Canadian Jewish Congress. In recognition of his efforts to promote human rights, he was also awarded the Order of Canada in 1986.
- In addition to his professional activities, Kayfetz was a prolific writer, and wrote articles for various Jewish publications under both his own name and the pseudonym, Gershon B. Newman, and gave a weekly radio address on various contemporary Jewish issues on CHIN radio. He was also actively involved in the Toronto Jewish Historical Society, serving as its president, the Canadian Jewish Historical Society and the Yiddish Luncheon Circle. Ben Kayfetz died on 15 February 2002, at the age of 85.
- Scope and Content
- Item is a portrait of Ben Kayfetz.
- Name Access
- Kayfetz, Benjamin, 1916-2002
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Gordon Mendly fonds
- Portraits series
- Level
- Item
- ID
- Fonds 18; Series 1; Item 25
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Gordon Mendly fonds
- Portraits series
- Level
- Item
- Fonds
- 18
- Series
- 1
- Item
- 25
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- [ca. 1960]
- Physical Description
- 1 negative : b&w ; 13 x 10 cm
- Admin History/Bio
- Ben Lappin was born in Kielce, Poland, on 1 May 1916. He was the son of Leibish and Sarah Lapidus. Lappin moved with his family to Canada in 1924. He married Adah Auerbach and had four children: Shalom, David, Naomi and Daniel.
- Lappin received his undergraduate degree from McMaster University and his master’s and doctoral degrees in social work from the University of Toronto. He spent several years at the Training Bureau for Jewish Communal Service in New York and returned to the University of Toronto in 1958, where he was a professor in the School of Social Work until 1970. He then accepted an appointment at the School of Social Work at Bar Ilan University in Israel, later becoming its director. In 1963, he published The Redeemed Children: The story of the rescue of the war orphans by the Jewish community of Canada. He later wrote a number of other books, several humorous pieces for the CBC and Macleans Magazine, and served as editor of the Toronto Yiddisher Zhurnal’s English-language page.
- From 1948 to 1958, he was the executive director of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Central Region and was involved with the national executive committee of the Canadian Jewish Congress; the Canadian Association of Social Workers; and the Farband Labour Zionist Organization of Canada. Ben Lappin died in January 2001, at the age of 84.
- Scope and Content
- Item is a portrait of Ben Lappin.
- Subjects
- Authors
- Immigrants--Canada
- Social workers
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 28; Series 5; File 45
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 28
- Series
- 5
- File
- 45
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- 1971
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs : b&w ; 9 x 12 cm
- Scope and Content
- The file consists of portait photographs of Ben Dunkelman.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 28; Series 6; File 92
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 28
- Series
- 6
- File
- 92
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- [196-?]
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 5 x 7 cm
- Scope and Content
- The file consists of a portrait photograph of Ben Herman.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 28; Series 6; File 235
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 28
- Series
- 6
- File
- 235
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- 1949
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 9 x 12 cm
- Scope and Content
- The file consists of a photograph of Ben Sadowski.
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Accession Number
- 1990-10-2
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 1990-10-2
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Physical Description
- 4 photographs : b&w
- Date
- 1943-1947
- Scope and Content
- This accession consists of four photographs that document YMHA basketball teams. Ben Atkin was the coach of both the bantam and senior teams. The 1947 team became the Ontario champions
- Administrative History
- Ben Atkin as a young man was very involved in the YMHA. During the late 1930s, he was involved in handball. Then during the 1940s, he acted as coach of the batam and senior boys basketball teams
- Use Conditions
- Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
- Subjects
- Sports teams
- Name Access
- YMHA.
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 1980-9-1
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 1980-9-1
- Material Format
- graphic material
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Textual material
- 26 photographs : b&w (13 negatives)
- Date
- [193-?] - 1979
- Scope and Content
- This accession consists of textual and graphic material donated by Ben Himel. The textual material documents family events as well as information pertaining to the Borochov School, Poalei Zion, B'nai Brith Toronto Lodge, the Independent Workers' Circle and B'nai Zion Association of Toronto. Identified in one copy photograph of the officers of the Canadian Headgear Workers Central are J.B. Salsberg, Motel Bergstein, Henry Sigel, and Sam Chaikofsky.
- Descriptive Notes
- Borochov School.
- Poal Zion.
- B'nai Brith Toronto Lodge.
- Independent Workers' Circle.
- B'nai Zion Association.
- Mrs. Menachovsky.
- Zerabouaun.
- Kreitzer.
- Arbeiter Ring.
- King Edward School.
- Picnic.
- Subjects
- Clubs
- Labor unions
- Zionism
- Name Access
- Himel, Ben
- Chaikofsky, Sam
- Bergstein, Motel
- Sigel, Henry
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Level
- Item
- ID
- Fonds 33; Series 4; Item 20
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Item
- Fonds
- 33
- Series
- 4
- Item
- 20
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- [ca. 1970]
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 18 x 13 cm and 10 x 12 cm
- Admin History/Bio
- Benjamin Gershon Kayfetz was born on December 24, 1916 in Toronto, graduating from the University of Toronto in 1939, with a B.A. in modern languages. Between the years 1941 and 1943, he worked as a high school teacher in Huntsville and Niagara Falls. In 1943, he joined the war effort, working for the Department of National Defense in Postal Censorship and was responsible for reviewing prisoner of war mail. After the war, Kayfetz traveled to British Occupied Germany where he worked as a censor of telecommunications with the Control Commission until 1947.
- Upon returning to Toronto, he was hired as the National Director of Community Relations by the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), and as the Executive (National) Director of the Joint Community Relations Committee (JCRC), a CJC - B'nai B'rith cooperative organization. He also served as the Central Region Executive Director of the CJC between 1973 and 1978. During his tenure, he worked with various churches, unions and minority groups to develop anti-discrimination laws and for the protection of minority and religious rights. Kayfetz was also actively involved in promoting the welfare of Jewish Communities worldwide, and made visits to Cuba in 1962 and 1965, and Russia in 1985, to study and report on the state of these Jewish Communities. After his retirement in 1985, he was awarded the Samuel Bronfman Medal by the Canadian Jewish Congress. In recognition of his efforts to promote Human Rights, he was also awarded the Order of Canada in 1986.
- In addition to his professional activities, Kayfetz wrote articles for various Jewish publications under both his own name and the pseudonym, Gershon B. Newman, and gave a weekly radio address on CHIN radio addressing various contemporary Jewish issues. He was also actively involved in the Toronto Jewish Historical Society (serving as its president), Canadian Jewish Historical Society and Yiddish Luncheon Circle. Ben Kayfetz died in 2002 and is survived by his wife Eva.
- Scope and Content
- This item is a portrait of Ben Kayfetz.
- Name Access
- Kayfetz, Benjamin, 1916-2002
- Subjects
- Portraits
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.
- Accession Number
- 2004-5-96
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
- Jewish Community Centre Archives Committee series
- Photograph collection sub-series
- Level
- Item
- ID
- Fonds 61; Series 2-2; Item 49
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
- Jewish Community Centre Archives Committee series
- Photograph collection sub-series
- Level
- Item
- Fonds
- 61
- Series
- 2-2
- Item
- 49
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- 1946
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 16 x 11 cm
- Scope and Content
- This file consists of one studio photograph of Ben Swartz. He is wearing leopard-print shorts and is standing in a wrestling pose.
- Subjects
- Wrestlers
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
- Community Relations Committee series
- Research Records sub-series
- Advocacy, General sub-sub-series
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 17; Series 5-4-9; File 127
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
- Community Relations Committee series
- Research Records sub-series
- Advocacy, General sub-sub-series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 17
- Series
- 5-4-9
- File
- 127
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1973
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of correspondence from and to Ben Kayfetz related to various issues.
- Notes
- Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
- Name Access
- Kayfetz, Benjamin, 1916-2002
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Item
- ID
- Fonds 37; Series 4; Item 22
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Item
- Fonds
- 37
- Series
- 4
- Item
- 22
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- [ca. 1965]
- Physical Description
- 1 negative : b&w ; 11 x 13 cm
- Admin History/Bio
- Ben Winbaum was born on October 12, 1912 in Poland to Sarah and Samuel Winbaum. He was married to Faye Goldman and they had one daughter named Rosemary.
- An industrialist, he was President for Vaunclair Purveyors Ltd. and President of Winco Ltd.
- Ben Winbaum's community affiliations included: co-founder for the Beth Sholom Synagogue and a member of the Jewish Home for the Aged & Baycrest Hospital, Canadian Friends Hebrew University, Herzl Zion Club, YMHA, Palestine Lodge AF & AM, B'nai B'rith, Fairbanks Rotary Club, Primrose Club, Maple Downs Golf & Country Club and the United Jewish Appeal. He also played baseball for the Toronto Jewish Community League.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Ben Winbaum.
- Name Access
- Winbaum, Ben
- Subjects
- Industrialists
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
Narrow By
- 1998 Israel 50 Fun Walk sub-sub-series 3
- Adas Israel Synagogue series 12
- Al Gilbert portraits series 4
- Aliyah series 6
- Annual Campaign series 91
- Anti-Semitism Cases sub-series 5
- Arab-Israeli War series 7
- Art Exhibitions series 5
- Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care fonds 4
- Ben Kayfetz fonds 14
- Benjamin Brown fonds 3
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds 45
- Board of Jewish Education fonds 53
- Building sub-series 9
- Canada-Israel Secondary School Program series 4
- Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel series 35
- Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds 160
- Central Region sous-fonds 39
- Committee for Soviet Jewry series 11
- Committee meeting agendas, minutes, reports and correspondence series 14
- Community Relations Committee series 82
- David and Rose Dunkelman sub-series 5
- David Vanek fonds 5
- Dinner honouring Nathan Silver file 4
- Dinner honouring Rt. Hon. John G. Diefenbaker, P.C., Q.C., M.P. file 14
- Director of school finances series 4
- Dr. Alexander Brown fonds 5
- Dual Allegiance series 17
- Eastern Canada synagogues series 7
- Events and organizations series 48
- Events sub-series 6
- Executive Committee series 16
- Executive director series 25
- Executive Director sub-series 16
- Executive Director's Correspondence sub-sub-series 16
- Family series 9
- Folks Farein fonds 4
- General Campaign records sub-series 4
- General community activities series 5
- General office records sub-series 9
- General office subject and correspondence files series 53
- George Morrison fonds 35
- Gilbert Studios fonds 43
- Gordon Mendly fonds 56
- Individual Refusnik cases sub-sub series 7
- Israel Histadrut of Toronto sub-series 20
- Israel sub-sub-series 38
- Jewish communal series 24
- Jewish Community Centre Archives Committee series 6
- Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds 8
- Joseph Baruch Salsberg fonds 18
- Julius P. Katz fonds 11
- Koffler Centre of the Arts fonds 8
- Larry Becker collection 8
- Military photographs series 5
- Morris Norman collection 18
- Negev dinner honouring Bert Godfrey file 8
- Negev dinners series 38
- Ontario synagogues series 25
- Other Jewish organizations sub-series 5
- Personal series 31
- Philip Givens fonds 26
- Photograph collection sub-series 6
- Photographs file 16
- Pidyon Ha'Ben Ceremony file 4
- Political Career series 4
- Portraits series 6
- Publications, Speeches, Press Releases and Reports sub-series 25
- Publicity photographs of people and events series 40
- Published and unpublished works and research series 6
- Quebec synagogues series 17
- Rabbi Nachman Shemen fonds 36
- Recreation sub-series 5
- Reference series 31
- Refusnik cases sub-series 7
- Research Records sub-series 43
- Rose Dunkelman fonds 12
- Sadie Stren fonds 12
- School files series 12
- Solomon Edell fonds 28
- State of Israel Bonds sub-series 10
- Subject files series 70
- Sylvia Schwartz fonds 15
- Synagogue dedication and laying of the cornerstone file 9
- Teacher files sub-series 24
- The Shuls Project fonds 94
- United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds 111
- Walk for Israel 1979 sub-sub-series 4
- Walk for Israel 1980 sub-sub-series 5
- Walk for Israel 1982 sub-sub-series 4
- Walk for Israel 1984 sub-sub-series 4
- Walk for Israel 1985 sub-sub-series 6
- Walk for Israel 1988 sub-sub-series 6
- Walk for Israel 1991 sub-sub-series 5
- Walk with Israel sub-series 87
- Western Canada synagogues series 14
- William Stern fonds 9
- Zionist Organization of Canada fonds 97
- Zionist Organization of Canada sub-series 6
- Zionist series 5
- Actors 1
- Ambassadors 1
- Anniversaries 9
- Antisemitism 2
- Antisemitism--Arab countries 1
- Arab countries--Foreign economic relations--Israel 5
- Arab-Israeli conflict 1
- Architecture 47
- Arts 1
- Authors 1
- Automobiles 1
- Awards 1
- Balls (Parties) 1
- Bar mitzvah 4
- Bethrothal 1
- Birthdays 2
- Boy Scouts 1
- Boys 1
- Brothers 2
- Brothers and sisters 2
- Building 2
- Businessmen 1
- Canada--Armed Forces 8
- Canada--Emigration and immigration 1
- Canada--Foreign relations 1
- Canoes and canoeing 1
- Cantors (Judaism) 1
- Cemeteries 2
- Charities 2
- Chickens 1
- Children 5
- Choirs (Music) 2
- Cities and towns 1
- Clubs 2
- College students 1
- Committees 1
- Communities 1
- Congresses and conventions 1
- Costume 1
- Demonstrations 1
- Dentists 2
- Dinners and dining 6
- Education 2
- Employees 2
- Engineering students 1
- Ex-presidents 1
- Ex-prime ministers 1
- Families 12
- Farms 3
- Flags--Canada 1
- Flags--Israel 1
- Fraternal organizations 1
- Fund raising 2
- Genealogy 59
- Hanukkah 2
- Hasidism 1
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Poland--Lódz 2
- Immigrants--Canada 5
- Israel 8
- Israel--Anniversaries, etc 4
- Jewish police officers 2
- Judaism--Relations--Christianity 2
- Labor leaders 2
- Labor unions 4
- Lawyers 2
- Married people 7
- Meetings 4
- Military uniforms 5
- Parades 3
- Parties 2
- Passenger manifests 59
- Passover 2
- Physicians 3
- Politicians 5
- Portraits 23
- Portraits, Group 22
- Presidents--Israel 3
- Prime ministers--Israel 13
- Purim 3
- Rabbis 9
- Religious 3
- Rites and ceremonies 2
- Rotenberg Ledger 59
- Scrapbooks 2
- Sepulchral monuments 7
- Societies 6
- Speeches, addresses, etc 3
- Sports teams 2
- Storefronts 3
- Stores, Retail 2
- Students 5
- Synagogue dedication services 8
- Synagogues 163
- Teachers 3
- Weddings 8
- Women 3
- World War, 1914-1918 2
- World War, 1939-1945 7
- Youth 2
- Zionism 6
- Abramsky, Bernice 2
- Abramsky, Marilyn 2
- Adath Israel Congregation (Toronto, Ont.) 15
- Adath Israel Synagogue (Kirkland Lake, Ont.) 6
- Adath Israel Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.) 2
- Agudath Israel 6
- Agudath Israel Anshei Sfard 4
- Agudath Israel Congregation (Ottawa, Ont.) 2
- Baratz, Joseph 3
- Belafonte, Harry, 1927- 2
- Ben-Gurion, David, 1886-1973 7
- Ben-Zvi, Itzhak, 1884-1963 3
- Beth David Congregation (Montréal, Québec) 3
- Beth David Synagogue 3
- Beth Israel Congregation (Kingston, Ont.) 11
- B'nai Israel Beth David Synagogue 3
- Cass, David 2
- Cohen, Betty 2
- Collis, Ben 2
- Congregation Beth Israel (Peterborough, Ont.) 2
- Congregation B'nai Israel (Cambridge, Ont.) 3
- Congregation B'nai Israel (St. Catharines, Ont.) 3
- Congregation B'nai Israel (Timmins, Ont.) 2
- Congregation Machzikei B'nai Israel 3
- Congregation Shaarei Tzedec (Toronto, Ont.) 2
- Croll, David, 1900-1991 2
- Dardick, Jerry 2
- Dashkin, David 2
- Dashkin, Ethel 2
- David ben Gurion 2
- David Peters 4
- Deltex Drapery 2
- Dennis, David 2
- Devor, John 2
- Dodd's Drapery 2
- Dunkelman, Benjamin 11
- Dunkelman, David 11
- Eastern Children of Israel Congregation (Toronto, Ont.) 2
- Eisen, David 3
- George Liban 4
- Gershon Avner 2
- Gertler, David 2
- Gilbert, Al, 1922- 4
- Ginossar, Rose 2
- Glasner, Adena 59
- Glasner, Harvey 59
- Goldstein, Rebekah 2
- Greenberg, David 2
- Hart, David 2
- Hausman, Leo, 1912-1982 6
- Himel, Ben 2
- House of Israel 2
- Hyman, Ben Zion 6
- Hyman, Esther Bayla 2
- Hyman, Menachem Mendel 2
- Jewish National Fund 5
- Junction 3
- Junction Shul 3
- Justine Apple 2
- Kayfetz, Ben, 1916-2002 2
- Kayfetz, Benjamin, 1916-2002 52
- Knesseth Israel (Toronto, Ont.) 6
- Lannis, Isadore 2
- Lannis, Sydney 2
- Levinson family 2
- Levinson, David 2
- Machzikei B'nai Israel Synagogue 3
- Magder, Beatrice 2
- Magder, Ed 2
- Magen David Sephardic Congregation (Toronto, Ont.) 13
- Marks, David, 1927-2004 3
- Meir, Golda, 1898-1978 6
- Monson, Rabbi David 13
- Ner Israel Yeshiva College 2
- Newman, David 3
- Newman, David E. 5
- Papernick, David 3
- Platnick, David 2
- Pride of Israel Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.) 6
- Primrose Club (Toronto, Ont.) 4
- Queers Against Israeli Apartheid 2
- Rabin, Yitzhak, 1922-1995 2
- Rain, Beatrice 2
- Robert Soren 3
- Rotenberg's Limited 59
- Royal Canadian Legion 2
- Salsberg, J. B. (Joseph B.), ca. 1903-1998 15
- Sandilands, Tracey 2
- Schuchmacher, Israel 2
- Schwartz, Sylvia, 1914-1998 (creator) 2
- Shaarei Shomayim Congregation (Toronto, Ont.) 2
- Shaarei Zion Congregation (Toronto, Ont.) 2
- Simon, Ben 2
- Springer, Jerry 2
- Steinberg, Ben 2
- Tenhouse, Barry 2
- Tenhouse, Shirley 2
- Tevan, Teddy 2
- UJA Federation of Greater Toronto 3
- Wilensky, Dora, 1902-1959 3
- Bathurst Street (Toronto, Ont.) 3
- Belleville (Ont.) 1
- Bellevue Avenue (Toronto, Ont.) 1
- Bellevue Square Park (Toronto, Ont.) 1
- Berkeley Street (Toronto, Ont.) 1
- Beth Israel Anshei Minsk Synagogue 1
- Boston (Mass.) 1
- Brandon (Man.) 1
- Brantford (Ont.) 3
- Calgary (Alta.) 3
- Cambridge (Ont.) 1
- Cambridge, Ont. 1
- Canada 2
- Cape Town (South Africa) 1
- Cecil Street (Toronto, Ont.) 4
- Chestnut Street (Toronto, Ont.) 1
- Christie Pits 1
- Clinton Street (Toronto, Ont.) 1
- Cochrane (Ont.) 2
- College Street (Toronto, Ont.) 1
- Congregation Agudath Israel Anshei Sfard 1
- Congregation Knesseth Israel 1
- Debert (N.S.) 1
- Dundas Street West (Toronto, Ont.) 1
- Durban (South Africa) 1
- Edenbridge (Sask.) 2
- Edmonton (Alta.) 3
- Englehart (Ont.) 1
- Fredericton (N.B.) 2
- Galt (Cambridge, Ont.) 1
- Galt, Ont. 1
- Glace Bay (N.S.) 2
- Glasgow (Scotland) 1
- Grace Street (Toronto, Ont.) 1
- Guelph (Ont.) 1
- Halifax (N.S.) 2
- Hamilton (Ont.) 3
- Henry Street (Toronto, Ont.) 1
- Hespeler, Ont. 1
- Israel 16
- Jerusalem 1
- Kensington Market (Toronto, Ont.) 3
- Kew Beach 1
- Kew Beach (Toronto, Ont.) 1
- Kingston (Ont.) 12
- Kirkland Lake (Ont.) 6
- Kirkland Lake, Ont. 1
- Lachine (Québec) 1
- Lethbridge (Alta.) 1
- Lódz (Poland) 2
- London (England) 1
- London (Ont.) 6
- Maria Street (Toronto, Ont.) 1
- Markham Street (Toronto, Ont.). 1
- Massey (Ont.) 1
- Massey, Ont. 1
- McAllister Road (Toronto, Ont.) 9
- Moncton (N.B.) 2
- Montréal (Québec) 21
- Moose Jaw (Sask.) 2
- New Liskeard (Ont.) 2
- New Waterford (N.S.) 1
- New York (N.Y.). 2
- North Bay (Ont.) 1
- North York (Toronto, Ont.) 1
- Ontario 2
- Oshawa (Ont.) 2
- Oshawa, Ont. 1
- Ottawa (Ont.) 5
- Ottawa, Ont. 1
- Palmerston Avenue (Toronto, Ont.) 1
- Parliament Street (Toronto, Ont.) 1
- Pembroke (Ont.) 1
- Peterborough (Ont.) 3
- Poland 1
- Portage la Prairie (Man.) 1
- Preston, Ont. 1
- Pretoria (South Africa) 1
- Québec (Québec) 2
- Queen Street West (Toronto, Ont.) 1
- Rowanwood Avenue (Toronto, Ont.) 1
- Russia 1
- Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts (Québec) 2
- Saskatoon (Sask.) 3
- Sault Ste. Marie (Ont.) 1
- South Porcupine (Timmins, Ont.) 2
- Spadina Avenue (Toronto, Ont.) 1
- St. Catharines (Ont.) 4
- St. Catharines, Ont. 1
- Stratford (Ont.) 1
- Sudbury (Ont.) 1
- Sydney (N.S.) 3
- Timmins (Ont.) 3
- Toronto 63
- Toronto (Ont.) 83
- Toronto, Ont. 2
- Vancouver (B.C.) 3
- Viewmount Avenue (Toronto, Ont.) 2
- Windsor (Ont.) 2
- Winnipeg (Man.) 5